Potato sorting and grading machine



L. A. BOWSER POTATO SORTING AND GRADING .MACHINE Fild June 16. 192.3 2 Sheets-Siheefi. 1

Um. m 19m 151mm L. A. BOWSER POTATO SORTING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed June 16', 1923 2-Shets-$hee 2 Patented ct. 1d, 1924,

LEROY A. BOWSER, OF HEMINGFORD, NEBRASKA.

POTATO SORTING AND, GRADING MACHINE.

Application filed June 16, 1923. Serial No. 645,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY A. Bowsnn, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Hemingford, in the county of Box Butte and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and and useful Improvements in Potato Sorting and Grading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sorting and grading machines for-potatoes or other vegetables or fruits, and has for its primary object, the provision of such a de vice wherein the articles are moved along a platform and turned over at the same time for enabling attendants to View all sides of the articles, whereby the bad ones may be removed, which will effectively overcome the necessity for turning the potatoes or other articles over by hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character that is comparatively simple of construction and inexpensive of operation, the same including relatively few parts, and these so correlated as to reduce the possibility of disarrangement to a minimum. 7

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this application, like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal cross section of the machine, and

Figure 4: is a fragmentary elevation of one side of my machine.

Having particular reference to the drawings, my device comprises an endless canvas 5 that is trained over spaced rolls 6 upon shafts that are j ournaled between side boards 7 that are supported by standards 8. Between the said rolls 6 are other rolls 9 that are eccentrically disposed upon shafts 10, also journaled between said side boards 7. Certain ends of the shafts 6 and 10 are extended outwardly of the adjacent side board 7 and are equipped with sprocket gears 11, trained over which is an endless chain 12.

One of the end roller shafts 6 isconnected in any desirable manner with a suitable in the direction of the arrows, Figures 1 and 3, the potatoes will not onl be moved in this direction, but the same wi lberotated,

due to the rotation of the eccentric rollers 9, which will form hills and dales in the belt, during the travel thereof.

At one end of this endless belt is achute 12 for receiving the potatoes from the belt and discharging the same into bags 13 that are secured within openings at the lower end of said chute.

At the opposite end of the belt is a downwardly inclined elevator 13, including a frame 14 and endless screen Wire belt 15, movable over rollers 16 carried by shafts journaled within opposite ends of said frame. The belt 15 is provided with flights 17 whereby the potatoes are carried upwardly out of a hopper 18 formed upon the frame 1 1. The cross shaft of the upper roller 16 has one end extending through the frame and is equipped with a spur gear 19, over which is trained a sprocket chain 20, which is in turn trained over another sprocket gear 21 upon the adjacent end of the shaft of the foremost belt roller 6.

In the movement of the endless belt 17 over the roller 6, the cam rollers 9 will producea wave like motion, and the upper side of the belt which receives and conveys the potatoes from one end thereof to the other to be discharged into the chute 12, and in this wave like movement, the potatoes being conveyed by the belt will be prevented from having a uniform movement therewith by the action of the rollers 9, which will retard the movement of some of the potatoes in close proximity to the rollers which are elevating the belt on one side and will accelerate the movement of the potatoes on the other side of the roller in the direction of travel of a belt, in order that an operator or sorter may readily inspect all of the potatoes being conveyed by the belt 7 to prevent imperfect or bad potatoes from being discharged into the chute 12.

The screen forming the belt 15 is of such a mesh as to allow potatoes of smaller sizes to fall therethrough, and in View of the above description, the advantages and operation of a machine of this character will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, and although I have hereinshown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it isne'vertheless to be un derstood that minor changes may be made therein, Without departin'g from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. I

Having thus described myinvention, What I] claim as new, Letter's Patent, is: j I

In a machine-of the character described, a stand, spaced parallel side boards mounted thereon, said side boards being horizontally disposed, a series ofshafts journalled in the side boards and bridging the spac between them, said shafts being spaced at'regular intervals ;apart,rollers mounted concentriand desire to secure by cally upon the terminal shafts of the series of shafts, rollers eccentrically positioned upon the intermediate shafts of the series of shafts, the axeso-f all of the shafts being in horizontal alinement longitudinally of the side boards, the rollers upon the intermediate shafts and which are adjacent each other having the deeper portions of their eccentrics disposed in opposite directions,

.means for rotating the shafts simultaneously and a'belt of fabric material trained around the terminal rollers and having its upper run resting loosely upon the upper portions of i the intermediate rollers.

In testnnony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEROY A. BOWSER. 

